Basic Tricks
This page is for general Halo speedrunning tricks that are not specific to a single game. Click here for Game-Specific Tricks. Clawing Lets you aim and press buttons at the same time. Juggling Juggling is a weapon management technique. Juggling allows you to carry a third weapon between different parts of a level, thus bypassing the normal two-weapon limit. To juggle, hold X/RB (Pick Up Weapon) while running forwards over the weapon you want to juggle. You will repeatedly pick up and drop the weapon, with the other weapon being thrown in front of you. You can use this to position weapons where you want them. If you go a while without picking up a weapon, it will despawn. The specific time varies by game. A sub-technique of this is stockpiling, where you juggle a bunch of weapons to one spot. This is more often used for SLASO. Noob Combo Noob comboing is a combat technique. Use the Plasma Pistol overcharge to quickly strip an enemy's shields, then use a precision weapon such as the Battle Rifle, Pistol or DMR to headshot it. This is generally the fastest and easiest way to kill Elites in Legendary. In Halo: CE, the Plasma Pistol can also be used to stun unshielded enemies. Distraction Grenades Distraction grenades are an AI manipulation / combat technique. Covenant AI occasionally notice thrown grenades; this means that if you throw a grenade away from you, the enemy may look at the grenade or the subsequent explosion, buying you some time to get into cover. This is most prominent in Halo: CE and quite useful on Legendary. Grenades can also be used to force enemies to evade by rolling/diving out of the way, thus buying time. On The Truth and Reconciliation, they can be used to maneuver enemies towards a locked door, opening it for you. Distraction Hogs In Halo: Combat Evolved, while your marines are in a vehicle, enemies will usually devote attention to it, becoming inattentive to their surroundings. On levels with a marine retaining Hog (i.e. Silent Cartographer), you can get a marine inside and park it on a platform above or below a group of enemies, effectively immobilizing them. This is not very practical in a speedrun but can help with slower and/or riskier runs like No Damage, Pacifist, and Zero Shot. Grenade Jumping Grenade jumping is a movement technique. By throwing a grenade at your feet, then jumping as it explodes, you can gain extra height and reach otherwise-inaccessible areas. You can crouch before/while throwing the grenade to make the placement more precise (remember to stand before you jump). Grenade jumping can also be used to gain a small amount of speed from the explosion, even on flat ground. This is mostly a segmented strategy. In Halo: CE, grenade jumping with a plasma grenade is less damaging and if timed right, you can do it without losing a health bar. Grenade jumping can be used to gain greater height while using the Jetpack in Halo: Reach and Halo 4. Crouch Jumping By crouching at the top of a jump, you can pull your feet up, gaining a little bit of height to reach otherwise-inaccessible areas. Slide Jumping Slide jumping is a movement technique. If you jump onto a sloped surface, you will slide off and gain speed. Jumping again during the slide allows you to maintain this speed over medium distances. Enemy Boosts Enemy boosts are a movement technique. If a berserking Brute knocks you forward, it is significantly faster than walking. This applies to any Halo game that features Brutes. You can gain greater height/distance from hammer Chieftains. If a Hunter knocks you around, it is also faster than walking. This is most evident in Halo: CE, where it can be used as an alternative for grenade jump due to it's low damage and equivalent power. Flood boosts may be able to be used for the same purpose. Reducing Fall Damage / Resetting Fall Timer Landing on steep slopes Crouching at exactly the right moment can reduce fall damage. However, crouching at the wrong moment can increase it. In Halo 2, you can reset the fall timer by Corner Riding. In Halo 3 and ODST, you can sometimes save yourself with a hammer swing. In Halo: Reach and 4, you can reduce fall damage by meleeing before you land. You can also survive longer falls compared to previous games. Wall Hacking/Clipping Going through walls, usually by being hit by a vehicle. Clipping is also possible by exiting vehicles next to a wall, most famously in Nightfall. Pressure Launching Pressure launching is a movement technique. If the player model is stuck between two pieces of geometry that are coming together, the game will attempt to "squeeze you out" by applying a large amount of force. It is possible to be launched great distances. This trick is possible in Halo 2, 3+ODST, Reach, and 4. Pressure launching is often used in tricking, though it also has speedrunning uses, such as skipping the elevator in High Charity. A game-specific version of pressure launching is available in Halo 3. See: DC Launching Banshee Exit Launching This applies to Halo 2 and after. In a Banshee, hold A (Jump) and push the left stick left, right, or forwards to execute a Banshee Trick (barrel rolls or loop-de-loops). If you exit the Banshee during a barrel roll, you can be launched long distances, although the trajectory may be unpredictable. This may be useful at the end of The Arbiter. In Halo 3, the barrel roll speed was nerfed, but exiting during the backflip can produce the same result, if timed well.